13 Words That Differ in the North and South Korean Dialects

Since the Korean peninsula was divided nearly 80 years ago, the linguistic differences between the two regions have grown significantly. One of the most substantial changes occurred in 1964, when North Korea's first Supreme Leader, Kim Il-Sung, chose to eliminate foreign loanwords from their language, including Chinese, Japanese, and English, replacing them with words of native Korean origin. He named this modified dialect the 'Cultured Language,' while referring to the dialect used in South Korea as the 'Standard Language.'

The gap between the two dialects has now reached a point where North Korean defectors often face challenges due to unfamiliar terms upon their arrival in South Korea. It is said that vocabulary differences are about 30 to 40 percent in everyday conversations, and as much as 60 percent in professional settings. To help these defectors, South Korea's Ministry of Unification frequently releases a list of words that commonly cause confusion. Additionally, there is an app called Univoca that helps translate South Korean terms into North Korean equivalents. Below are a few examples of words that differ between the two dialects.

1. Shampoo

In South Korea, the term for shampoo, 샴푸 (pronounced 'syam-pu'), comes from the English word shampoo. However, in North Korea, they use 머리물비누 ('meo-ri-mul-bi-nu'), which translates literally to 'head water soap.' This term is composed of the native Korean words 머리 ('meori' meaning 'head' or 'hair'), 물 ('mul' meaning 'water'), and 비누 ('binu' meaning 'soap').

2. Vegetable

In South Korea, the word for vegetable, 야채 (pronounced 'ya-chae'), originates from the Chinese characters 野 ('je' meaning 'wild') and 菜 ('coi' meaning 'vegetable'). In contrast, North Korea uses the word 남새 (pronounced 'nam-sae'), which stems from Middle Korean.

3. Juice

Similar to the word for shampoo, the South Korean term for juice, 주스 (pronounced 'ju-seu'), is borrowed from the English word 'juice.' However, in North Korea, the word used is 단물 ('dan-mul'), meaning 'sweet water.' This term comes from the native Korean words 단 ('dan,' meaning 'sweet') and 물 ('mul,' meaning 'water'). In South Korea, 단물 also refers to 'soft water' or is sometimes used metaphorically to mean 'the lion’s share.'

4. Practice

In South Korea, the term for practice is 연습 (pronounced 'yeon-seup'), which is derived from the Chinese word 練習 ('lin zaap,' meaning 'practice'). In contrast, North Korea uses the word 련습 ('ryeon-seup').

While these two words may appear similar at first glance, the difference stems from a common pronunciation and spelling distinction between the dialects. In South Korea, it’s typical to either drop the letter r (and its corresponding sound) or substitute it with n, while North Korea retains the r sound. For example, 'cold water' is 냉수 ('naengsu') in South Korea and 랭수 ('raeng-su') in North Korea, and 'territory' is 영토 ('yeongto') in South Korea and 령토 ('ryeongto') in North Korea.

5. Mask

In South Korea, the word for mask—마스크 (pronounced 'ma-seu-keu')—is borrowed from English. On the other hand, in North Korea, they use 얼굴가리개 ('eol-gul-ga-ri-gae'), which literally translates to 'face screen.' This term is formed from the native Korean words 얼굴 ('eolgul' meaning 'face') and 가리개 ('garigae' meaning 'screen'). Both countries use this term, though in North Korea, it primarily refers to surgical face masks, while in South Korea, it is more commonly used for visors or transparent face shields.

6. Mobile phone

In South Korea, the term for cell phone is 휴대폰 (pronounced 'hyu-dae-pon'), which is a combination of the Chinese word 攜帶 ('kwai daai,' meaning 'portable') and the English word 'phone.' Another term used is 핸드폰 ('haen-deu-pon'), meaning 'hand phone,' which is derived entirely from English.

In North Korea, the word used is 손전화 ('son-jeon-hwa'), which literally means 'hand telephone.' This term comes from the native Korean word 손 ('son,' meaning 'hand') and the Chinese term 電話 ('din waa,' meaning 'telephone'). This word was already widely used for landline phones before the language reforms, so it was never replaced with a native Korean alternative.

7. Diet

In South Korea, the word for diet is 다이어트 (pronounced 'da-i-eo-teu'), which comes from English. In North Korea, they use the term 살까기 ('sal-kka-gi'), which literally means 'taking off flesh.' It is formed from the native Korean words 살 ('sal,' meaning 'flesh') and 까다 ('kkada,' meaning 'to take off').

8. Friend

The word for friend in South Korea is 친구 (pronounced 'chin-gu'), which is derived from the Chinese term 親舊 ('can gau,' meaning 'relatives and old friends'). In North Korea, the word for friend is 동무 ('dong-mu'). Originally, 동무 was used throughout the entire Korean peninsula, but North Koreans later adopted it as the equivalent of the Communist term comrade, and, according to the BBC, it was 'subsequently purged from the South Korean vocabulary.'

9. Doughnut

If you're in South Korea and craving a doughnut, you would ask for a 도넛 (pronounced 'do-neot'), which is derived from the English word. On the other hand, in North Korea, you would use the term 가락지빵 ('ga-rak-ji-ppang'), meaning 'ring bread.' This word is formed from the native Korean words 가락지 ('garakji,' meaning 'ring') and 빵 ('ppang,' meaning 'bread').

10. Milk

In South Korea, the word for milk is 우유 (pronounced 'u-yu'), which comes from the Chinese term 牛乳 ('ngaujyu,' meaning 'cow’s milk'). In North Korea, the term used is 소젖 ('so-jeot'), which literally means 'cow milk.' This term is derived by combining the native Korean words 소 ('so,' meaning 'cow') and 젖 ('jeot,' meaning 'milk').

11. Ice cream

The South Korean word for ice cream is 아이스크림 (pronounced 'a-i-seu-keu-rim'), which is borrowed from English. Meanwhile, in North Korea, they use 얼음과자 ('eor-eum-gwa-ja'), meaning 'ice confection.' This term comes from the native Korean word 얼음 ('eoreum,' meaning 'ice') and the Japanese word 菓子 ('kashi,' meaning 'confection'). While 얼음과자 is also occasionally used in South Korea, it typically refers to ice lollies or popsicles rather than the scoopable ice cream we know.

12. Tractor

In South Korea, the word for tractor is 트랙터 (pronounced 'teu-raek-teo'), which is borrowed from English. In contrast, North Koreans use 뜨락또르 ('tteu-rak-tto-reu'), which originates from the Russian word тра́ктор ('tráktor'). While the North Korean dialect has largely minimized the use of loanwords, those that remain are predominantly from Russian. This influence is a result of the Soviet Union's support of North Korea during the Korean War, and the longstanding ties between Russia and North Korea continue to shape the language today.

13. Country Names

The names of countries differ significantly between the North and South Korean dialects, as South Korean country names are generally derived from English, while North Korean names are based on the native names of the countries. Here are some examples: